WATER SUPPLY &

SANITATION
AR. ANTARA NANDY
 SOURCES OF
POTABLE WATER
• THE THREE MAIN SOURCES OF
WATER: GROUNDWATER,
SURFACE WATER AND RAINWATER.
IN ARID REGIONS WHERE SEAWATER
IS ACCESSIBLE (SUCH AS IN THE
MIDDLE EAST), DESALINATION (THE
REMOVAL OF SALTS FROM WATER) IS
USED TO GENERATE
DRINKING WATER.
GROUND
WATER

Groundwater was defined as water that is found

underground within rocks. Its presence depends primarily
on the type of rock. Permeable rocks have tiny spaces
between the solid rock particles that allow water and other
fluids to pass through and to be held within the rock
structure. The layers of rock that hold groundwater are
called aquifers. The level of water below ground is called
the water table. Groundwater can be extracted from wells
or collected from springs.
 DUG-WELLS
SHALLOW WELLS AND BOREHOLES
USUALLY HAVE A DEPTH OF LESS THAN
30 M, ALTHOUGH THEY CAN BE AS
MUCH AS 60 M DEEP.

THE WELL, PUMP, PIPEWORK (USUALLY

OF PVC) AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE
SHOULD BE REGULARLY DISINFECTED
USING CHLORINE SOLUTION TO
ELIMINATE PATHOGENS AND ENSURE
THE WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK.
 DEEP WALLS OR
BOREHOLES

THEY TYPICALLY OBTAIN WATER FROM DEPTHS

RANGING FROM 30 TO 60 M, BUT LARGE URBAN
SUPPLY BOREHOLES CAN BE MUCH DEEPER
THAN THIS. A CASING OF METAL OR PLASTIC PIPE
IS USUALLY NECESSARY TO LINE THE BOREHOLE
AND PREVENT THE SOIL AND ROCK FROM
COLLAPSING INTO IT.

THE LOWER PART OF THE CASING MUST HAVE

SUITABLE OPENINGS TO ALLOW WATER TO
ENTER THE BOREHOLE FROM THE AQUIFER
 WAYTER
DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM
• THE AIM OF A DISTRIBUTION
NETWORK IS TO SUPPLY A
COMMUNITY WITH THE
APPROPRIATE QUANTITY AND
QUALITY OF WATER. THERE
ARE FOUR NETWORK TYPES:
DEAD END, GRIDIRON, CIRCULAR
AND RADIALSYSTEMS.
• WATER MAIN SUPPLY PRESSURES OF 8–
12 METRES (25–40 FEET) CAN SUPPLY A
TYPICAL TWO STOREY BUILDING, BUT
HIGHER BUILDINGS MAY NEED
PRESSURE BOOSTER SYSTEMS.
• WRITTEN APPROVAL SHOULD BE
OBTAINED FROM THE APPROPRIATE
AUTHORITY BEFORE ANY PUMP OR
BOOSTER IS CONNECTED TO THE
SUPPLY.
• WHERE PUBLIC DRINKING-WATER
SUPPLY SYSTEMS ARE OVERBURDENED
AND CANNOT PRO-VIDE ADEQUATE
PRESSURE ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS,
WATER MUST BE STORED ON SITE
DURING PERIODS WHEN ADEQUATE
MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS CAN USUALLY BE DIVIDED INTO
ZONES OF WATER PRESSURE

CONTROL. THE LOWER TWO TO THREE STOREYS CAN

GENERALLY BE SUPPLIED DIRECTLY FROM THE PRESSURE IN
THE PUBLIC WATER MAIN. UPPER STOREYS, USUALLY IN
GROUPS OF FIVE TO EIGHT STOREYS, CAN BE SUPPLIED FROM
PRESSURE-BOOSTED MAIN RISERS THROUGH A

PRESSURE REDUCTION VALVE FOR EACH GROUP. SYSTEMS

CAN BE UP-FED OR DOWN-FED.

• UP-FED SYSTEMS USUALLY ORIGINATE FROM A PRESSURE

BOOSTER PUMP SET OR HYDRO-PNEUMATIC TANK IN THE
BASEMENT OF THE BUILDING.

• DOWN-FED SYSTEMS USUALLY ORIGINATE FROM A

ROOFTOP GRAVITY TANK. WHERE A BUILDING IS DIVIDED
INTO WATER PRESSURE ZONES, CARE MUST BE TAKEN NOT
TO CROSS-CONNECT THE PIPING BETWEEN TWO OR MORE
ZONES. THIS IS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM WHEN DOMESTIC
HOT WATER IS RECIRCULATED FROM A CENTRAL SUPPLY
SYSTEM.
AN APPROACH TO
WATER CONSERVATION
BEING:
• RAINWATER
HARVESTING
• RECYCLE
GREYWATER TO AN
OUTSIDE TAP FOR
IRRIGATION USES.
 TYPES OF PIPES COMMONLY
USED
COPPER HAS LONG BEEN USED FOR ALL
TYPES OF DOMESTIC WATER SERVICES AND
DISTRIBUTION BECAUSE IT:
COPPER PIPES • IS DURABLE
• HAS GOOD CORROSION RESISTANCE
• IS MALLEABLE AND EASY TO BEND
• IS SELF-SUPPORTING
• HAS GOOD FLOW CHARACTERISTICS
• REQUIRES FEW FITTINGS
• CAN BE RECYCLED.
 POLYBUTYLENE IS A PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT WAS INTRODUCED IN
THE LATE 1970S AND USED EXTENSIVELY FOR WATER SUPPLY PIPES
UNTIL THE MID 1990S. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE BRAND OF
POLYBUTYLENE GAINED A REPUTATION FOR FAILURE, RESULTING IN
A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN USE.
POLYBUTYLENE POLYBUTYLENE IS A PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT WAS INTRODUCED IN
(PB) THE LATE 1970S AND USED EXTENSIVELY FOR WATER SUPPLY PIPES
UNTIL THE MID 1990S. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE BRAND OF
POLYBUTYLENE GAINED A REPUTATION FOR FAILURE, RESULTING IN
A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN USE. HAS EXCELLENT PROPERTIES FOR
USE AS WATER SUPPLY PIPEWORK, INCLUDING:
• LOW COST
• FLEXIBILITY
• EASE OF INSTALLATION
• ABILITY TO BE USED FOR BOTH HOT AND COLD WATER SERVICES
• FROST RESISTANCE.
• IN OUTDOOR SITUATIONS, IT MUST BE PROTECTED FROM UV
EXPOSURE.
 IT IS SUITABLE FOR BOTH POTABLE WATER AND
WASTEWATER SERVICES BUT IT CAN ONLY BE USED
FOR COLD WATER SUPPLY.

POLYETHYLENE IT IS THE MOST COMMONLY USED PLASTIC PIPE FOR

SUPPLYING THE MAINS WATER TO A DWELLING. IT IS:
(PE OR HDPE) • IS DURABLE
• IS CORROSION RESISTANT
• HAS GOOD FLOW CHARACTERISTICS
• IS LIGHTWEIGHT AND FLEXIBLE
• IS EASY TO INSTALL
• HAS A GOOD BENDING RADIUS
• IS INEXPENSIVE
• REQUIRES FEW FITTINGS.
 THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF POLYPROPYLENE:
• P-H HAS GOOD MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND EXCELLENT CHEMICAL
RESISTANCE FOR USE AS INDUSTRIAL AND SEWERAGE WASTE PIPES
SYSTEMS

POLYPROPYLENE • PP-R HAS GOOD RESISTANCE TO HIGH INTERNAL PRESSURE SO IT IS

SUITABLE FOR DOMESTIC PRESSURE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS AND

(PP) BOTH HOT AND COLD WATER SERVICES

• PP-B IS SUITABLE FOR BURIED SEWERAGE AND WASTEWATER
DRAINAGE AS IT HAS GOOD IMPACT STRENGTH, PARTICULARLY AT LOW
TEMPERATURES, AND EXCELLENT CHEMICAL RESISTANCE.
THE USE OF POLYPROPYLENE HAS BEEN INCREASING SINCE THE LATE 90S
AS IT IS:
• CHEMICAL AND CORROSION RESISTANT
• HEAT RESISTANT
• LIGHTWEIGHT
• EASY TO INSTALL
• FROST RESISTANT.
• IN OUTDOOR SITUATIONS, IT MUST BE PROTECTED FROM UV EXPOSURE.
 PEX TUBING IS MADE FROM A CROSS-LINKED, HIGH DENSITY
POLYETHYLENE POLYMER, WHICH RESULTS IN A STRONGER
MATERIAL THAT POLYETHYLENE. PROPERTIES INCLUDE:
CROSS-LINKED • MORE DURABILITY UNDER EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE AND
POLYETHYLENE CHEMICAL ATTACK

(PEX) • GREATER RESISTANCE TO COLD TEMPERATURES, CRACKING

AND BRITTLENESS ON IMPACT
• IT CAN BE USED FOR HOT WATER SUPPLY AND HYDRONIC
HEATING SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS POTABLE WATER SUPPLIES
• FLEXIBILITY
• EASE OF INSTALLATION
• IT CAN BE USED FOR INDOOR AND BURIED OUTDOOR
SITUATIONS.
• PEX IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR OUTDOOR ABOVE GROUND
USE 
 IN DOMESTIC CONSTRUCTION IT IS USED
UNPLASTICISED CHIEFLY FOR DRAINS, WASTES AND VENTS.
POLYVINYL-
CHLORIDE (UPVC
THE PRIMARY JOINTING METHOD FOR UPVC
OR PVC-U) IS SOLVENT WELDING, WHERE SOLVENTS
SOFTEN THE SURFACES OF THE MATERIAL,
WHICH THEN CHEMICALLY FUSE TOGETHER.
A RUBBER RING (ELASTOMERIC SEAL) JOINT
SYSTEM IS ALSO AVAILABLE. THIS PIPING:
• IS INEXPENSIVE
• IS EASY TO HANDLE
• HAS LOW RESISTANCE TO FLOW.
WATER SUPPLY
& SANITATION
DRAWING

DETAILED PLAN
HIGH-RISE
BUILDING
WATER SUPPLY
DRAWING
COMMUNITY-LEVEL
DETAILED PLAN
PLUMBING PLANS